


94

by SeongRyeol



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Cussing, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Heroes to Villains, How Do I Tag, I Made Myself Cry, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Minor Character Death, Minor Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun, Not Beta Read, Oh Sehun-centric, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28359708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeongRyeol/pseuds/SeongRyeol
Summary: Sehun had lived with his hyungs for what seemed like ages. The whole trainee program was a lot like a fancy boarding school - having the kids sleep in dorms on campus, "for safety", as they said. This safety precaution also meant their classes were kept small - their on-campus-contact usually reduced to no one but their classmates and teachers all day long. In Sehun's class there were nine kids in total, of all kinds of different ages.In a world where more and more children are born with supernatural powers, nine boys learn to control their gifts to contribute greatly to society.Follow Sehun, as he and his hyungs grow closer and learn more about their abilities - and more about themselves.
Kudos: 16





	94

To be born with super powers was quite rare, but not completely unheard of. Nobody could explain quite why some children started to be born "special", but the world had started to accept it by now, to celebrated it, even. 

At first, people had wondered why their children were born with certain birthmarks, too oddly shaped to be natural. Those marks rather looked like tattoos, their shapes ranging from abstract butterflies to keyholes to lightning bolts. Those abnormalities had seemed to be isolated, unconnected cases and for many, they had been a hoax. 

Parents had been scrutinized and sued for child abuse, people assuming those marks couldn't been real. That is, until one day, the true purpose of the marks was revealed. 

The case went wild in the media, showing video footage of a young girl fending off a much bigger person trying to abduct her. She probably hadn't done it on purpose, no, but somehow - out of nowhere - green, luscious vines had pushed through the pavement and curled around the aggressor.  
While of course, many failed to believe the footage, investigations revealed that the girl had been one of the few to be "branded", as she had worn a black Ivy leaf on her shoulder since birth. Testing was issued, and the girl's "power" was proven to be legit. 

But she wasn't the only one. 

Over time, all around the world, more and more of those "branded" children acquired such powers, usually between the ages of twelve to 19.  
In some countries, it started witch hunts, while in others, it granted those "branded" individuals instant success. Usually in well-developed countries, those children were trained from early on to take on important jobs, to take leadership and most of the time, they were granted a trainee spot for special task forces, units which backed up the justice system to assure safety in the streets. 

And this is where the actual story begins. But is it really a story if it's real? Who knows. 

•••

Sehun had lived with his hyungs for what seemed like ages. The whole trainee program was a lot like a fancy boarding school - having the kids sleep in dorms on campus, "for safety", as they said. This safety precaution also meant their classes were kept small - their on-campus-contact usually reduced to no one but their classmates and teachers all day long. In Sehun's class there were nine kids in total, of all kinds of different ages. 

At first, the concept of learning the same stuff as their oldest, a guy six years older named Minseok had been weird to him, but he figured mixing children of different ages reduced the chance of all of them discovering their special ability at the same time. 

The first of the group to "awaken their power" had actually not been the oldest, but another guy named Junmyeon. How it happened was actually a quite funny story: They had been at swimming practice - like in all of their physical subjects, their coach had forced them to go through their routine over and over, not caring about his students' fatigued bodies in the slightest. 

After a while, seeing that most of his classmates had reached their final breaking point, he had swam to the edge and asked for a break. He had been polite and had even proposed for them to stay late to make up for their time of rest, but his tentative request had been shot down immediately. After glancing back at his still struggling classmates he had looked back at their coach, finally losing his composure. 

"You know what? Fuck you!" He had thrown at the man, hitting the water he was swimming in with a hand in hopes of getting their coach wet. 

What he hadn't expected was letting a tsunami loose, flooding the entire facility. 

They had the day off after that. 

It had also helped their class bond, making a team out of the nine. Setting up close friendships. 

Slowly but surely, one after the other, everyone got their powers. Some of them were more of the "in you face" kind, such as pyrokinesis or the infamous water bending, others were a little more low-key, like teleportation or the control over light. 

And then there was Sehun. 

He had been the last to develop his ability, by far. Sure, he was the youngest, but by the time his power showed, the others had already been practicing theirs for at least a year. They had always tried to cheer him up, telling him that it was okay, that he'd probably get the coolest power out of them all. 

But he hadn't even noticed it when he first got it. Later tests suggested he must have had it for about a month before he first used it, but he hadn't felt a thing. He hadn't felt his body heat up like Chanyeol had, hadn't felt nauseous for weeks like Jongin did. 

Speaking of him, he had almost seriously hurt the second maknae the first time his power had acted up.  
Jongin had developed a habit of sneaking up on him by teleporting directly behind him, only that day Sehun had somehow recognized someone appearing. Startled, he had whipped around, a strong gust of wind following his movement and flinging the older into the nearest wall. 

At first, Sehun had been ecstatic. Jongin, too, too happy for his friend to be mad at him for even a second. 

But "wind", as their organization dubbed his ability, was a tricky power to wield. To his chagrin, Sehun couldn't seem to manage to replicate what he first did to Jongin.  
Over time he managed to feel the wind, kind of, but it was hard to control something you weren't able to see. It frustrated him to no end, even leaving him wishing to never have developed that power at times. 

•••

Things did get a little better, though. Eventually Sehun managed to create gusts of wind, albeit usually only if confronted with stressful situations. 

His team members, even brothers at this point, never judged him for being slow and somehow managed to never baby him too much upon comforting him. 

The person who helped him the most in those times was his roommate, Junmyeon. Despite having been the first to discover his ability, he had been one of those who had struggled the most to gain control over it. In some aspects, Sehun felt, the two of them even were quite similar - both of their powers worked with a force of nature, one could even say they operated similarly. The way Junmyeon had first let his tsunami loose, hitting his medium, water, to make it move, was exactly how Sehun was able to create his gusts of wind these days. 

Junmyeon's power was much cooler, though. The older could pick up blobs of water, carrying them as if they were in space, as if gravity didn't have a say in it. He also didn't need to drink water manually, they discovered, holding his hand into the stream of a running faucet was enough for his body to absorb this force of life. 

Another thing - and Sehun prided himself with being the only one the older had opened up to about it - was the in Sehun's opinion coolest aspect of Junmyeon's power. The older was able to feel water, almost on a molecular level. He could feel the blood running through someone's vessels if he touched them or even did as much as to concentrate a little. 

Not even the authorities knew and Junmyeon had no interest in telling them, even if Sehun didn't see the harm in it.  
"Maybe you could even manipulate someone's blood with it" the younger had proposed much to the older's shock "like, imagine... someone, maybe even someone with powers like us, went crazy and holds people hostage or something. The kind of person the police shoots on sight. You could eliminate the threat without him having the chance to hurt a victim! He wouldn'tstand a chance, wouldn't see it coming!" 

The idea had sounded good in his head, but watching Junmyeon's face change expressions as he kept talking gave him the feeling of having said something wrong. 

"Sehunie..." The older began softly, making Sehun gulp. "I know you mean no harm, but that's a bad idea... we are heroes to the people, and heroes don't do that. Heroes don't kill people, no matter how bad they are." He explained "we especially - for no other reason of having those powers. The people know we're strong, but if they see how easily we can use those powers to hurt, we'll scare them away." 

He reached out to the younger, softly brushing through his hair. "You are one of the kindest people I know and I want the world to see that... you don't deserve to have people be scared of you." 

His hyung's words managed to bring a smile to Sehun's face, even made him snicker a little. "Don't worry, hyung... you're the one with the mad sciencey power, after all, not me" 

•••

Days bled into weeks and weeks bled into months of training. All of them were getting better, even Sehun: he had even found new uses for his power, even if those seemed rather minor to him. 

He now had a better understanding of the air around him, making him aware of movements around him. Junmyeon had helped him with that, he had trained similarly in water, after all. Jongin helped, too, and slowly, he was startled less often by sudden occurrences such as the second maknae "sneaking up". 

He was getting better at controlling his gusts of wind, to the point of being able to whip away bullets before they could hit him. By now, he was even able to push more air together, increasing the air pressure - even if just for a short moment - to the point of slowing a projectile down, enough for it to become harmless. It was something he had yet to get used to, though, so he couldn't use it too often without feeling extremely fatigued. 

He was fairly content with where he was, but he also felt like there had to be more to his power. He often asked his instructors for new ideas to try - it was their job to make the most of the nine, anyways - but the best answer he usually got was a "Don't worry, you're doing great. It's best to focus on your current skills.", on bad days they gave him something along the lines of "It's just wind, what do you expect?" 

It frustrated him to no end, but his hyungs getting similar answers relieved him, little at least. To have your learning curve stagnate like that after months irked him, but the others assured him that something like that was perfectly normal and something they all had gone through. 

One of these days, they sat together in the living room. They still shared their dorm, still lived in the same constellation that had been established upon moving in. It had been years since they first met at this point, and by now the felt more at home with, more like family among each other compared to their real, biological families. Time did wonders, really. 

They sat in the livingroom, talking about anything really. Light-hearted stuff. 

That is, until Chanyeol opened his mouth. Chanyeol was a bubbly pyrokinetic, with a personality as bright and blazing as his flames. He was one of Sehun's best friends here. 

But despite his happy-go-lucky attitude and his bright smile, the guy carried worry in his heart - it was only natural, since after all, his flames were a force to be reckoned with. Not only could they light your way and warm your heart, the could also burn you beyond recognition. 

"Guys..." He began, searching for the right words. This thought must have weighed on his mind for quite some time now but he still seemed unsure about how to put his thoughts into words "if we mess up - hurt someone, like, hurt them badly, what do you think they'll do with us?" 

Silence settled between them - they were too stunned by that question to give an answer right away. Yixing was the first to speak up. 

"...first of all, we have your back" his usually timid sounding voice almost seemed sharp, cutting through the silence like one of those scalpels he was so skilled at working with "and secondly, I'll be there to fix any bodily damage. You're not alone in this, none of us is. We are one." 

Baekhyun agreed, optimistic as always.  
"What's the worst they could do? Send us back into training?" He smiled encouragingly. Sometimes, Sehun wondered whether the older's bright outlook on life was connected to his power. He was able to control light, which apparently came with the bonus to be able to see even in complete darkness, to the point of him not even noticing whether someone had turned the light on or not at times. Did someone as "immune" to darkness even notice the dark sides of life and the shady corners that came with them? Sehun wasn't sure. 

Slowly, but surely, the silence gave way to more light-hearted chatter, the tenseness melting away as the evening continued. 

•••

Time flew by fast, but their hard work didn't pay off as well as they would have liked to. That was the downside for their abilities being something never seen before. And though they had learned to accept that, it didn't make their fruitless hours of training less dreadful. 

Luckily, today was a day off, at least training-wise. All they were going to do was sitting in their classrooms, being taught about the law of physics, politics and the human body and its functions. While those subjects seemed rather dry at times, it was a welcome change from their almost daily training. 

Feeling a shift in the air, Sehun looked to his left - only to see Yixing pulling out his biology book in the middle of their physics class. Their teacher was currently reciting a monologue about God knows what - Sehun didn't really care. Fixing neither, as it seemed, looking much more invested in his biology book. 

No one could actually be mad at him for doing that, though, it was Yixing's job to know everything there was to know about human bodies. He was the guy with the healing power, after all. The best mechanic couldn't do crap if he was unfamiliar with the machine he was trying to fix and it was the same for Yixing. 

So in enough, the lesson ended which meant they had about ten minutes to get to their next class: biology. Sehun was actually looking forward to that one, finding living and breathing bodies much more interesting than some random atoms decomposing or whatever the process was called... 

Speaking of living and breathing - today, they learned about the respiratory chain, how the body processes the oxygen it breathes in to survive. Despite this topic also featuring "random atoms" and how they went about their days, Sehun liked it. Maybe, because oxygen was basically air? Whenever one of their subjects taught something about air, the maknae was on board - he might actually be able to use that knowledge someday. 

He thoroughly enjoyed the class, going as far as to discuss the topic with Yixing, who always soaked up all knowledge in this field as if he was a sponge. Even after the lesson had ended they stayed in their seats, too immersed in their conversation to care about leaving - only packing their stuff when their teacher urged them to go. 

"You know what... Your power could be really helpful on a medical level, too" Yixing told the younger as they walked out side by side. "How so?" Sehun hadn't expected anyone to find use in something as some as wind. 

"You have the ability to increase the air density. And if there's more air, there's more oxygen, too... You could help people breathe, isn't that a wonderful thing?" Yixing was always so nice, never leaving out a chance to help those around him. No wonder he saw something nice in Sehun's power, aswell. 

"Do you really think I'd be able to control the air to such an extent?" The younger questioned. 

"Why wouldn't you? It's worth a try, at least. I'd help you keep track of what you're doing, I'm a medic, after all" he answered, smiling softly. It made Sehun's chest warm up, feeling touched by the older's proposal. He knew his hyungs cared about him, but whenever he was reminded of it like that, he couldn't help but feel like the luckiest person on earth. 

"I'll think about it" even if he wanted, he wouldn't have been able to hide his smile away. "It means a lot, thanks hyung..." 

Eventually, their paths separated, leaving Sehun alone with his thoughts. Yixing's idea had been great, he'd need to try it out, for real. He thought about it some more... He had already managed to increase air density, he only had to manage the right amount of pressure. If he wanted to help someone he wouldn't want to accidentally give them a headache. 

Among all his thinking a new idea appeared. It started as a small nudge into a different direction before it actually hit him: if he could increase air density to have it have an effect on someone, what would happen if he decreased it? This thought haunted him for the rest of the day. 

Which is why in the evening, when they were supposed to go to sleep, he asked Junmyeon. 

"You want to decrease the air density around someone? And therefore reduce the oxygen available to breathe?" The older asked, unsure of what to make of that idea. 

"You make it sound bad!" The younger whined. "It's just a hypothetical question... what would happen?" 

Junmyeon thought a little. "Well, if you deprive someone of oxygen, they die after a while... but that's not what you'd want to achieve - or else we didn't raise you well" 

"You sound so old right now" the younger interjected, snickering. 

"Pshhh, I'm talking" Junmyeon threw a cushion at Sehun, only for it to be blown back into his own face by a gust of wind. "You should be able to make them lose consciousness, or at least make them feel light-headed... You know what, this actually doesn't sound too bad. It could come in handy someday" 

Sehun was surprised, to say the least. Had he expected Junmyeon to say that of all things? Definitely not. But the older topped his fist statement with another one: "I'll help you train, try it on me." 

•••

Surprisingly, things were as easily said as they were done. Somehow, Junmyeon had coaxed their instructors into allowing Sehun to try choking him - as long as Yixing was there to check his vitals. 

While his hyungs were eager to help him, it didn't go without endless teasing. 

"Is this like... a friendship with benefits?" Baekhyun had asked and it had made Sehun wonder why he had allowed the older to be present "I didn't know you were into choking people - our maknae grew up so fast!" The older had even tried to pinch Sehun's cheeks, earning a seat in the wrist. 

"It's nothing like that!" He had retorted "Don't project your fantasies onto me!" 

If he overlooked the teasing, he could actually say things went well. Although in his mind the experiment had been bound to go wrong, everything went smoothly, not even once needing intervention by Yixing. Junmyeon felt just fine, aswell, going as far as claiming "to be happy to finally get some rest" - well, that certainly was a way to put his experience of being forced into unconsciousness over and over again. 

He did say, though, that the last few times had been much more comfortable than the first ones. Whatever that meant. 

Sehun's new, special way of training went on for days and weeks, eventually being allowed to train on other people, aswell. The authorities seemed to be sure about this new skill now, wanted to establish it as an ability he could actively use. 

Finally, he felt at peace with himself and his training. Finally, Sehun was able to see something actually badass in his power, something which felt special. 

"Wow" even Baekhyun had admitted at some point. "I always thought this would feel like actual choking - but all it does is make me feel light-headed before fainting? It's nothing like actual choking... now I can't even tease you with it!" He had complained, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Sehun couldn't care less about his hyung's whining - less teasing was a win for him. 

•••

After what had felt like an eternity and a half, they were declared ready. 

Having reviewed their medical records, their grades and their over the years carefully cultivated skill sets, the authorities deemed them ready to let them roam in the streets, to give them missions to fulfill and to freely use their abilities. 

Everyone looked forward to finally carry out their duty as a part of society - as part of a kind of military elite. They were buzzing with anticipation, some quite literally... Jongdae had almost short circuited several household items more than once and Sehun could swear he had felt the ground rumble once or twice - which meant even their voice of reason, Kyungsoo, was nervous. 

When the time for their first mission actually arrived, they suddenly didn't feel ready anymore. The thought of going out there was nerve-wrecking and none of them was sure whether to take it as positive or negative. 

Their mission was simple it was almost anticlimactic how "normal" it seemed. They were supposed to surveil the area around a bank - according to their higher-ups there had been an anonymous call, telling the police that a faceless group would try to create havoc and break into the safe this noon. 

The unit's task was to linger around the area all day, intervening if necessary. The authorities had even given them a "fancy" name: EXO. It probably meant something along the lines of "enforcement - xenotype operation" - or they simply had fun with outcasting them, calling them alien to their own society. Sehun wasn't sure, and if he was honest he didn't really want to find out. 

Their group of nine would be divided into three sub-units which would surveil different locations in the area: CBX - made up of Jondae the electrokinetic, Baekhyun the light guy and Minseok the ice wielder, LYK - made up of Yixing the healer, Chanyeol the pyrokinetic and Jongin who could teleport and lastly, SDS - made up of the remaining members Junmyeon the water bender, Kyungsoo the geokinetic and Sehun with his wind powers. 

Originally, Kyungsoo and Jongin had been put into other units, but as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol couldn't seem to get along when put into a stressful situation they had to switch things up. 

While Sehun was fine with being put into sub-units, he couldn't help but ask himself why they had given them such boring names. Those didn't even sound good and didn't make any sense, either - to him, at least. 

The ride to their location went by quietly, the air buzzing with anticipation. There was a high possibility of nothing actually happening, but even as much as the mere thought of encountering a criminal sent their minds into overdrive, imagining all kinds of scenarios. 

•••

The first hour went by smoothly. Nothing really happened, so SDS didn't really do anything but wait. There was some smalltalk, but even that they kept minimal. 

•••

Several hours later everything was the same - except being much more boring. Sehun hadn't imagined his job to be that dull, but here he was, waiting. He wasn't even allowed to sit down! 

•••

"Hyung..." 

"What is it this time?!" Kyungsoo snapped. The poor guy had been on edge ever since the beginning of the mission... and Sehun constantly trying to open conversations to pass time didn't soothe his nerves in the slightest. 

"Just wanted to tell the two of you that I'll go take a piss now so you know I'm not missing or anything. Sorry, I guess?" His tone probably didn't hide the fact that he didn't really mean that apology but he hoped it'd soothe his hyung anyway. Without another word he left the two standing there - if anything happened they'd be able to reach him through his ear piece, letting him know he was needed. 

•••

He hadn't expected them to actually need him, though. 

He had just finished, washing his hands like the responsible human being he was, as his ear piece came to life and he heard a hushed Junmyeon talking. 

"I don't know how they managed to do that, but a whole group of people just walked in here like they own the place. They're definitely suspicious." 

As fast as he could, Sehun rushed out of the bathroom and joined his hyungs. "Yixing managed to get some more info on them." the older explained as he handed Sehun a thin tablet. On its screen it displayed several people, as well as a surface level analysis of them made by Yixing. "Five people? Wow... didn't expect that many. They don't stand a chance against us, though" he told Junmyeon as he handed him back the tablet. 

Kyungsoo sighed. "They're rumored to carry explosives, right? We have to be careful with this. We can't risk too much damage. Not to us and especially not to this place and the people." 

Sehun was irked by the fact that his hyung not only put the people above them, but the place, too - but he nodded anyway, talking into his ear piece. "Jongin? You and the others evacuate this place so we have free range. Do it low-key, though, we don't want our delinquent to notice that fast." 

After getting confirmation from Jongin's side, he looked at his hyungs again. "I think we should wait a little, just observing them and studying their movements. At least until LYK is done with evacuating the place." 

The other two agreed, and Sehun felt Junmyeon's eyes on him, meeting his gaze. There was a glint in the older's eyes, just how he'd imagine a father looking at his child with pride. Junmyeon could never be not cheesy, huh? 

The evacuation process went smoothly and soon, the halls were empty - only leaving SDS and the group of criminals. 

"We should call in CBX for back-up, just to be sure. Baekhyun could blind them so they're distracted." 

Kyungsoo nodded. "I'll do that right away" he confirmed before contacting the others.  
His call was cut short, though, as a shot rang through the air. While Sehun had enough presence of mind to thicken the air around them, it wasn't enough to stop the bullet from hitting Kyungsoo in the leg, making him groan in agony as his leg gave in, making it impossible to stand or walk properly. 

"Fuck" 

If Kyungsoo cursed, it had to be really bad. 

"CBX. Here. Right now." His hyung ordered under his hitching breath, not even a second before the next shot was fired. This time, Sehun was prepared, slowing it down enough to keep it from hurting one of them. 

"So there's a sixth member, in hiding. Armed. Sniper, to be exact..." Junmyeon muttered, his eyes searching for a clue to find the hidden member, before looking back to Kyungsoo. "We need to get him out of here, need to get him to Yixing..." 

Sehun nodded, quickly calling Jongin to pick up their injured comrade. Seconds later, the second maknae appeared in a puff of black smoke, grabbed the older and vanished again. Though Kyungsoo was safe now, that also meant sub-unit SDS was only at two thirds of its full potential now. They could only do so much now until CBX arrived. 

Luckily, CBX arrived soon enough. 

"Where's Kyungsoo? He was the one who called us over..." Jongdae wondered upon reaching the two. "Injured. Jongin came and picked him up." Sehun explained. "Sniper, unknown location... other than that the five known perpetrators, probably armed, aswell." 

Xiumin nodded. "And we're supposed to-" 

"Supposed to take out the five without getting hit" the youngest interrupted the oldest but in this situation, none of them minded. "I was thinking about letting Baekhyun Hyung blind them" 

Baekhyun's eyes lit up at that, quite literally. "Get your shades out, then... and I'll get this place lit!" If it wasn't for the situation they were currently in, Sehun would have laughed at the other's wack joke. It was probably a perk of being an optimist: to never lose your humor even in the gravest of situations. 

They took out their specifically designed "Sun glasses" which they were supposed to wear as eye protection - that way, they wouldn't have to close their eyes while Baekhyun "lit up the room". 

Baekhyun took a few steps away from their group, closer to their opponents. With every step he took the room appeared brighter, with none other than himself being the light source. But it wasn't until he came to a halt, seemingly flexing every muscle within his body and to top it all off released an almost ear-deafening scream while doing so, that the light emitting from his body burst outwards with the power of a small sun, effectively blinding everyone who didn't cover their eyes on time - which was hard to do by reflex as light traveled, well, at the speed of light. 

Confusion lingered in the air as the group of criminals, blinded, failed to coordinate their group, looking rather helpless. The light had gone back to normal by now, but their eyes failed to get used to that after being shocked like this. 

"Time to pin them down and wait for the authorities to pick them up, I guess" Minseok mused, eyeing Sehun and Junmyeon. "CBX will handle it, you two go look for our mystery shooter, if he's still in hiding he might not have looked into Baek's flash." 

Junmyeon nodded curtly, grabbed Sehun's wrist and pulled him into the direction he probably assumed the sniper to hide in. Normally, Sehun would've complained about this hyung out of all people treating him like this, but he understood how on edge the other was. Despite Minseok being the oldest of their family, Junmyeon had been dubbed the leader, resulting in him shouldering the responsibility for all kinds of stuff. Kyungsoo getting hurt while standing not even two meters next to him probably made the older feel like he failed not only as a brother, but as the leader aswell. Sehun knew this event would haunt Junmyeon for a long time, knowing to what extent considerably less grave shortcomings kept his hyung up at night. 

While being dragged across the building, he only looked around, hoping to catch a sight of their opponent. The faster they got this over with, the less Junmyeon would feel bad about this, the earlier they could just go back home, get out some soju and celebrate despite their shortcomings, just forget the stress for a moment. 

It wasn't until he caught a glimpse of the the gun barrel gleaming in the artificial light of the building that he felt a change in the air. Another bullet had been fired. 

"DOWN!" Was the word he forced out of his mouth as he pushed the older to the floor, simultaneously managing to change the direction of the bullet with a gust of wind last-second. 

Junmyeon just stayed there, looking at Sehun, stunned. For a brief moment, silence settled between them. "I saw him. I saw the barrel. He's up there." He explained in a lowered voice, a little raspy from his panicked shout mere seconds ago and cocked his head into the direction he was speaking of. 

He took a water bottle out of the small backpack that he, as well as the others were equipped with, twisted the lid open and emptied it's contents onto the floor. He did the same with his backup bottle. "Distract him, I'll get out of his field of view and sneak up on him, take him out. Okay?" 

His hyung looked at the floor, dumbfounded, then back up at Sehun before it finally clicked. While Junmyeon was able to use water out of the air or even his own body if necessary, it was way easier and much less exhausting for him to use water he could just access in its usual fluid form. He nodded, mumbling a short "thanks". Sehun almost didn't notice it, as he had already turned his back on the older, leaving. 

Okay. The sniper hid one floor above them, near the staircase. If he took the elevator to the floor above, he could sneak up without risking being caught before getting close enough to choke him into unconsciousness. 

Sehun took a deep breath before sneaking to the elevator, cringing at the "ding" sound it made upon opening its doors. He got in, pressing the third floor button a lot more often than he actually needed to, as if that'd make the elevator go faster. The smooth, but slow travel upwards was nerve-wrecking. While he stood in here, Junmyeon could actually die. If he received a fatal hit there'd be no-one to call the others, he'd die. Sehun tried to shake that thought off. No, he wouldn't. Sehun would get there in time, would knock the shooter out before anything like that could happen. 

Finally, the doors opened to reveal the third floor - but Sehun had no time to take in the fancy interior that awaited him. Immediately, he rushed to the stairs, quietly sneaking down step by step, until he saw the sniper. The sight almost made his blood boil, but he forced himself to stay calm. He couldn't mess this up. Not now. 

His peripheral vision seemed to blur, he concentrated on the man and this man only, drowning out everything around him. As if a switch had flipped, he felt him. He felt the air around him, felt the air the man breathed in, the air the man breathed out. The O2 in his bloodstream. He felt all of those things, yet he concentrated even more, beginning to manipulate the air. And as expected, the man lost conciousness soon enough. 

As the sniper's head dropped, Sehun ran to the banister of the staircase trying to catch a sight of his hyung. And there he stood, as expected - unharmed, in all his glory - despite being drenched in water. Excitedly, he sent Junmyeon a triumphant grin, only then noticing the shocked expression on the older's face. He wasn't looking at him, either - rather at the unconscious man besides him. 

"What... happened?" the younger asked tentatively, not sure why his hyung didn't seem to share his joy "are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Worry rose in his chest. Had he been too late after all? 

"No..." Junmyeon spoke softly, the shock still apparent in his voice. "I'm fine, but..." He gulped, before looking up at the maknae "his blood isn't circulating anymore" the words made Sehun's blood run cold. "Hunnie... He's dead." 

•••

Sehun wouldn't have deemed it possible, but the ride back was even more silent than the previous one. He wasn't in the mood to talk, anyway. They had completed the mission, but at what price? Kyungsoo was still injured despite Yixing using his healing power on him and Sehun... He had killed a man. Ended someone's life. He didn't know how horrible it'd feel to live knowing that. If they weren't sitting in a car right now, he'd puke. He felt so sick right now. 

Their ride was cut short as they stopped at an unknown building. That stop hadn't been scheduled and usually Sehun would have wondered what the building was for, but he didn't have the energy to do that - so he just ignored it. 

That is, until the door of their van opened, revealing several strong-looking officials in uniform ordering him to get out. 

Not the others, only him. 

Gulping, he had no choice but to follow the orders he was given. He held his head high, determined to not show his hyungs or the officials how weak he felt right now, how scared he was. Not even looking back into their worried faces, he straightened his back and followed the officialsas if it had been his plan all along. 

The next days were hell. They had led him to a one-person-bedroom, one with bare walls painted in white, white sheets draped over the frame of a metal bed, a table, a chair and a small bathroom. Nobody talked to him, nobody cared to answer his questions no matter how much he begged them to be answered. 

But the worst thing they did was not letting him see his hyungs. Not even letting him speak to them, not even over the phone. He missed them, so much. 

He felt like he was going insane. 

He missed talking to Junmyeon before falling asleep, missed bickering with Baekhyun. He missed Kyungsoo threatening to kill Chanyeol if he ever burned their kitchen again. He missed sparring with Jongin, both of them being eagerly competitive and determined to win. He missed talking about science with Yixing. He missed bothering Jongdae upon having heard him sing while under the shower and he missed asking Minseok for advice. He missed all of them dearly and he liked to think they'd miss him, too, though he felt selfish for that. He didn't want them to feel hurt, but he didn't want them to be unfazed by his absence either. 

Days went by, but he couldn't muster up the energy to keep counting. He didn't want to know how many days, maybe even weeks he had gone without seeing his hyungs. They had lived together for more than half of his life now, he had forgotten what being alone felt like. He felt empty in this empty, quiet room. 

More days went by, and his agony grew. They brought him well-made meals, three times a day, but he wasn't even hungry. Still, he ate. His hyungs wouldn't want him to look like a chopstick upon meeting him again. If they ever would. 

Despite not knowing when, or if at all he'd be seeing his family again, he took them as his sole motivation to keep going. To keep eating, to keep working out to stay fit despite never leaving his room. To keep practicing when no-one was looking. It helped easing his loneliness, even of just by a little. 

Thinking of his hyungs also helped him to stay collected when they first brought a guy in a lab coat who ordered him to let him take some blood. The man hadn't even looked at him, as if he wasn't worthy of that. This occurrence and the many identical ones which followed were the most dehumanizing acts he had ever witnessed. It made him sick to know they didn't see him as an equal, rather than a test subject. A lab rat. 

His feelings were only validated further as over time, they switched from taking blood to experiment on to experimenting on the source. Experimenting on him. They never talked to him, as if he didn't know how to, talked about him right in front of him, as if he didn't understand - and he might aswell have forgotten how to speak at that point, as he hadn't even tried in so long. To them, he wasn't even Oh Sehun, to them he was a number. A number they had branded right onto his chest at some point, right below his butterfly mark. 

The reason he met his hyungs, his family, yet also the reason he killed a man and was now stuck here, reduced to nothing more than "94", a subject to be experimented on. 

He hated it, he hated it, so much. How shocked would his hyungs be to see what they did to him? He didn't want to think about it, but the more time went by, the more his mind wandered to his hyungs. 

One day, he realised, he had forgotten how their voices sounded. He thought of their faces, of their smiles, but he couldn't remember how they laughed, time and isolation had silenced his memories. 

That was the last straw. He had to get out of there. He had so see them again, hear them again, feel them again. He couldn't bear the thought of forgetting any more about them and he couldn't live with the possibility of them forgetting him, too. He didn't want to be forgotten. 

If his family forgot, there wouldn't be anyone who knew an Oh Sehun. He wouldn't be a maknae anymore, he wouldn't even exist anymore. If they forgot, there really would only be 94. Nothing more than a test subject. 

He didn't want to cease to exist. 

•••

The next time the doctors came in to take him to his testing, he used his ability on them. At this point, he didn't care whether they were dead or not, they had put him through enough suffering. He just wanted to get out. 

Hastily, he shut his door to change his clothes in peace, taking off his white lab rat attire and hurrying to pry off clothes off their bodies to put them on himself. He almost shuddered at the feeling of jeans fabric on his skin, not having as much as even touched it in what felt like ages. The clothes' sizing ran a little small for him, but it'd do for now. He slipped one of their lab coats on and out of spite, he took the head scientist's glasses, too, wearing them tucked onto his short-cut hair. Not bothering to check their pulses even once, he headed out. 

Walking outside alone, in scientist clothes had a different air to it. He didn't feel as small as before, rather felt even stronger than usual due to adrenaline coursing through him. The few who took it upon themselves to try to stop him he took out without even touching him, but most people let him pass by, too scared to even breathe. 

When he had first arrived he had felt horrible for making people in the hallways uneasy. He couldn't bear the thought of them being afraid of him, though he had been too scared to show them how scared he actually was, how little different he was from their powerless sons and daughters. 

Now, he didn't care. He almost felt content upon seeing them give up space for him to freely walk outside, knowing what would happen if they did otherwise. After all, they knew what he could do to them - the same thing he had done to the sniper all this time ago. 

Outside, he caught a taxi... well, not quite, but something similar. Walking into the parking lot he was met with the doctor who had first taken his blood, before they had started to run experiments on him. 

Without much force he ordered him to get back into his car and drive him back. Drive him home. Knowing what would await him if he didn't comply, he did it. 

••• 

As he stood in front of his hyungs' dorm, he became nervous. He hadn't seen them in a while now and his lab-rat-haircut looked kind of weird. 

They hadn't forgotten about him, right? He had tried his best to hold his memories of them as close as possible, after all. They had missed him, too, for sure... Still, he was nervous. He had tried no not lose any weight to not worry them and even packed quite a bit of muscle mass over the time, he probably couldn't look too bad. His haircut still worried him, though. They'd make fun of him for that for sure. 

After a deep breath, he finally pressed the bell. Who'd be the first to reach the door? Kyungsoo? Or the overly active Chanyeol? 

It was Junmyeon, though the older was now significantly shorter that Sehun. He seemed healthy, seemed to have trained well over this time. Sehun's gaze wandered from the other's feet upwards to his legs, his belly, his hand with which he gripped the door in surprise and his chest, expecting to meet a smile in his hyung's face upon seeing him again, only to meet nothing. 

It was a little disappointing, but he understood. Him being back was a lot to take in. 

"Come... in" the older proposed, sounding as unsure as he looked. Sehun chose to ignore that. He still hadn't lifted his gaze any higher than the other's mouth, not sure what to expect. With a little nod he stepped in and took his shoes off, hearing Junmyeon slamming the door shut. He was probably excited, after all, so Sehun didn't mind despite his ears not being used to loud sounds anymore, wincing a little. 

"Where are the others?" He asked, not sure what else to do now, that he was here. 

"In the living room, they..." His voice was soft, just like that day on their first mission. He hated it, but he decided that it was nice. He not only heard him speak again, he also remembered things now. That was nice. 

Slowly, his feet started moving again, making his way towards the living room. His heart raced, he'd be finally meeting all of them again. Slowly, he opened the door, seeing them sitting there watching some stupid romcom, probably. They hadn't noticed him yet. 

Not knowing what else to say he began with a simple "...hey". 

Seven alarmed gazes snapped at him, taking him aback. Here he was, at home... They had been sitting there, relaxed, dressed in their most comfy clothes - he had even recognized Chen wearing his favourite hoodie. But now? They were tense, their expressions strained and it looked so wrong on their faces. He took a step back, colliding with Junmyeon. As he turned around he met his gaze for the first time - and what he saw made him want to cry. Junmyeon wore a look of fear, he was afraid of him. 

"Sehun..." He began, and it made him think of the day of their first mission. It had been "Hunnie" then, what had happened in between? He didn't understand. 

"Sehun, you are considered a threat to society now" His voice was wavering now, unsure, as it seemed, though his words were harsh. He wasn't unsure, Sehun realized. He was scared of what Sehun would do if he carried on with his words now. 

"And it is our responsibility to protect society from any kind of threat"

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!  
> I hope you liked the story :)
> 
> Feel free to share your opinions down in the comments! I'm still fairly new to writing so I really appreciate any thoughts :>
> 
> Bare with me if there are any grammar errors, as English is not my first language.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!


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